[86911TLCAB]

Hate when non car things get in the way. Have been dealing with some front load whirlpool duet washer issues. So pulled the washer apart thinking I had a bearing issue. Ordered new bearings. Pulled apart the tub and found the spider arm on the back of the tub broken in three pieces.

While the wife was thinking she was about to get a new washing machine, Called whirlpool to find the only part on this 14 year old washer with a lifetime warranty was the drum, with spider arm. Have begun reassembly and hope to have it back together with new bearings. Waiting on a new tub gasket and hopefully it will all come together.

[86911TLCAB]

Broken spider arm

[BlackTalon]

I went through a bearing replacement on a Maytag about 2 years ago. Definitely a bear to undertake something like this is the typical cramped confines of a laundry room. But well worth the $150 or so in order to stave off forking out $1,500+ for a new one.

The way yours broke makes me wonder if unbalanced loads fatigued the metal, although the pattern along the cracks looks more typical of a brittle failure. What is that piece made of? is it stamped aluminum or steel, or something that looks cast?

[86911TLCAB]

Dave the piece is not magnetic. Not sure what it is made of nor how made. I suspect cast. The bearings cost me 75 bucks and a new tub seal 20. Had I needed to buy a new tub in order to repair (600 new) would have tossed the unit and bought another. Let's see if it all works after I put it back together. May still end up buying a new one yet. If nothing else the bearings both seemed to be fine. Replaced them as a precaution, but they seemed ok.

[cmartin]

jbweld!

good work

[BlackTalon]

Maybe it is cast aluminum -- the worst of all worlds.

Give it to Rotheus, and ask him to cast a new one using the lost wax process or something similar. He can probably have it for you by lunch time

[86911TLCAB]

fortunately the new drum and arm are here, bearings and back half all together just waiting for a tub gasket. Should have it up and running later today.

Dave do you recall if there is any torque stating for the rear nut? I haven't been able to find one though may call whirlpool today and ask.

[Vicegrip]

I suspect the extensive corrosion is the reason it failed. I would test my feed water and detergent used to get a solution that is as close to 7 as you can.
Residential laundry soap PH often quite high with the addition of sodium hydroxide AKA caustic soda. It is used to soften hard water and it converts grease and oil into a soap of sorts. If you have soft water to begin with the PH of the wash solution can be high. This is not much of an issue for clothing but it can be on soap solution wetted parts. Sodium hydroxide will eat aluminum and magnesium for lunch.

We used to carefully tune the detergents to the water in com washers used in health clubs. A standard detergent and a additional tuned "sour" would be added together.

[smdubovsky]

Our spider failed last year. Not as ugly looking as yours but its a very common point of failure. It was not a separately avail part on ours. I wasn't home and the wife said it was making a heck of a racket and did nothing. So it destroyed the front half of the plastic barrel from rubbing. I was getting my clothes out of the washer to put in the dryer and was thinking **WTF** did I leave in my pockets? TONS of half melted plastic bits in everything. Even buying used parts it would have added to a big enough bill to just 'total' the washer and buy another. I saved a bunch of parts that I should put on ebay.

[86911TLCAB]

I stopped the machine when I heard the racket. There is a little rubbing damage to the front half of the tub but not enough to worry about. Had the drum and spider not been under lifetime warranty I would have tossed the machine and made the wife happy buying a new one. But given that I got it for free am going to try and salvage the machine....hopefully. Will know tomorrow if it works. If anything may have a new drum with spider available for sale to offset cost of a new machine.